Israel Defense Forces confirmed the recovery and identity of the body of Israeli hostage Ron Benjamin.
Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the body of an Israeli hostage, Ron Benjamin, was identified in Gaza on Saturday after it was recovered the previous day.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history, killing some 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. Israel then subsequently launched its heaviest airstrikes against Gaza. About half of the hostages, meanwhile, were freed during a temporary ceasefire in November. Over 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in the conflict, according to local health officials.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed on Saturday that Benjamin’s body was recovered on Friday, along with the bodies of three other hostages. According to the IDF, the three previous hostages were identified as Shani Louk, Amit Bouskila, and Yitzhak Gelernter.
The bodies were identified by authorities and the families have since been informed, Hagari said, adding that the bodies have been taken for further forensic examination.
« Based on verified intelligence in our possession, Ron Benjamin was murdered during the October 7th Massacre at the Mefalsim Intersection, and his body was seized and brought to Gaza by Hamas terrorists, » Hagari said in a statement.
